30 years ago – August 16, 1991
Melvin Dennis, Jr., 30, the second suspect in the Rex Miller murder case was arrested Friday, August 9. Dennis was taken into custody in north Denver following an anonymous tip, said Jefferson County Deputy Investigator Clint Blackhurst. Dennis is being held in Jefferson County jail. Bond was set at $1 million. He and Joseph Nick “Joey” Aguayo, 21, have both been charged with first degree murder in the shooting death of Miller. Aguayo is also in custody at the Jefferson County jail. According to the indictment, the two men were part of a group that Miller stopped to help the night of July 31 after they ran out of gas. Miller, a Corona Heights resident, was on his way home after having dinner in Black Hawk with his girlfriend. After Miller helped the men fill their gas tank, one of them allegedly shot Miller in the neck, shooting him again as he tried to run away from them. His body was found the next morning. Jeffco investigators are tying up loose ends, said Blackhurst, and going through the voluminous physical evidence. They feel good about this case, he said, adding that witness interviews have been completed and physical evidence has been sent to CBI for fingerprint examination.
The Social Register:
Died: Robert C. “Red” Vasconcells, 69, of Golden Gate Canyon, died August 7, 1991, at St. Joseph Hospital in Denver. Red was born February 3, 1922, to Mable and Charles Vasconcells in Lyons, Kansas, where he grew up and attended school. He married Sue Fritzler on May 31, 1947, in Hutchinson, Kansas. Vasconcells was a retail salesman. He enjoyed golf, reading, and television. He was a member of the Masonic Lodge of Abilene, Kansas. He retired and moved to Golden Gate Canyon in May 1984. Survivors include his wife Sue and a son Tom, both of Golden Gate Canyon; a daughter Mary Ann Starkey and Ron Kennon of Grand Junction; three granddaughters, Kelly Arnoldi and her husband Bill of Tucson, Arizona, Kim Starkey, Kari Hyde and her husband John, all of Grand Junction; four step-grandchildren, Scott Kennon and his wife Stacy, and Jeff and Travis of Grand Junction, Gayle Kennon of Las Vegas, Nevada; and four great-grandchildren, Mary Ann Starkey, Jody Hyde, Katie and Orrey Kennon of Grand Junction. The body was cremated. There were no services. In Memory of Robert C. “Red” Vasconcells: A Million Times We’ll Need You, A Million Times We’ll Cry…If Love Could Have Saved You, You Never Would Have Died. God Saw You Growing Weaker, and A Cure Was Not To Be, So He Put His Arms Around You And Whispered “Come Live With Me.”
Died: Rosemary Jean Beissel, 36, died August 14 at Lutheran Medical Center in Wheatridge. She was born October 17, 1954, in Reading, Pennsylvania. Beissel belonged to the Bern Township Lioness Club. She was a life member, holding several offices, including president. She married Larry Beissel on August 28, 1971 in Bernville, Pennsylvania. She is survived by her husband Larry Beissel, sons Andrew and Erick, all of Empire, Colorado; parents Howard and Catherine Kline, Leesport, Pennsylvania; brothers Karl Kline, Easton, Pennsylvania, and David Kline, Reading, Pennsylvania, and sisters Deborah Frankhouser, Westlawn, Pennsylvania, and Laura Davis, Fleetwood, Pennsylvania. Memorial services will be held Saturday, August 24, at 1:00 p.m. at Woods Chapel in Golden. Pastor Bruce I. Hermann of Faith Lutheran Church will officiate.
60 years ago – August 25, 1961
Central City Nuggets:
Richard McNamara and family, of Greeley, were in Central City Wednesday visiting scenes of his early youth. He is a brother of Jim McNamara, who was killed some sixty years ago when he fell from one of the ore cars of the Gilpin tramway, falling under the wheels and having both legs cut off, of which injuries he died the following day. Ye Editor was with him when the fatal accident occurred, and it has left a memory with him that time can never efface.
Central City Lodge No. 557 B.P.O. Elks held initiation on Monday evening when Mr. Fred McDonald II and Mr. Reuben Schluntz were made members of the Order.
Born: Mr. and Mrs. Howard Knoll, Jr., are proud parents of a baby born August 20th, 1961. Congratulations.
Black Hawk Gold Dust:
Mr. and Mrs. Bill Hendricks of Omaha, Nebraska and niece Marjorie Hanson of Parsons, Kansas, were here Thursday and Friday with Mr. and Mrs. Ray Hendricks; Ray and Bill are brothers.
Mrs. Alice McKenzie, Mrs. Donna Blake and daughter Leanna spent last week in Longmont for a pleasant vacation. During Mrs. McKenzie’s absence, Mrs. Al Grose helped in the Corner Grocery.
The Paul Allendar family has moved back to their home on upper Clear Creek, after being in Lakewood for some time.
Mrs. Flora Turner is home but still under a doctor’s care for a back ailment.
Mr. Al Grose received a painful injury Wednesday when he cut off a portion of his fingertip while working as a joiner at Otto O. Blake’s.
Mr. and Mrs. David Blake and daughter have been here the past week visiting relatives and friends.
90 years ago – August 21, 1931
Mr. and Mrs. Gus Grutzmacher, of Central City, were guests of Mr. and Mrs. Joel E. Palmer over the weekend.—Golden Republican
Mrs. Thomas Belcher, daughters Laverna and Gwenlean, and son Marlin, of Guy Hill, were guests of Mrs. Frank Shankee Sunday evening.—Golden Republican
Mrs. C. Kerringer and son Thomas and her sister, Miss Mamie Cody, of Cheyenne, Wyoming, arrived in Central Thursday evening of last week, to visit with Uncle James for a couple of weeks.
Mr. William McKibben motored up from Denver Monday morning for a short visit at the old home.
Attorney Leroy J. Williams was up from Denver Saturday, attending to business matters and visiting with his family, returning to the plains city Monday afternoon.
Mr. and Mrs. H.H. Lake motored up from their summer home at Manchester Lake, near Rollinsville, on Monday, to get the mail and supplies, returning that afternoon.
Charley Richards has been hobbling around with the aid of crutches, for the past few days, due to an affected foot.
120 years ago – August 23, 1901
William Fullerton came up from Denver on Tuesday to look after operations at the Gunnell Mine and attend to other business matters.
Henry Harrington arrived from Eagle, Colorado, on Monday last, on a visit with his parents.
Henry Morgan came up from Denver Monday, on a visit with his mother and other relatives, as well as friends.
Senator Henry M. Teller and wife were up from Denver the first of the week, while the former attended to business matters.
Thomas DeCoar started Tuesday afternoon on a journey to his old home in Newcastle-on Tyne, England. He has a sister living there and another in Australia, where he will probably go later on.
Will McFarlane, of Denver, had his leg broken on Saturday last, by a falling piece of machinery at his works there.
The Lillian Mining Company, operating the Lillian Mine in Russell District, made a shipment of six cords of mill ore to the mills at Black Hawk during the week, from which good returns are expected. Present developments consist in extending the 75 and 195 east levels, and stoping in both levels. Denver parties are interested and the showing throughout the workings is very favorable. Mr. Richie Hughes is looking after the property for the Denver operators.
A handsome piece of smelting ore, weighing in the neighborhood of 300 pounds was brought over from the Specie Payment Mine last week, and shipped by express to the office of the company at Providence, Rhode Island. The piece represented in character the streak of ore now being taken out of that property.
A lift of 90 feet will be completed this week at the Chicago-Carr Mine, in Gregory District, which Manager Bruce Meyers says will make the shaft a depth of 300 feet. As soon as the levels can be fairly started, sinking will be resumed and kept up for another lift of 100 feet. Drifting and stoping are being carried on in the 100- and 200-foot levels and daily shipments of from 2 to 3 cords are made to the Gilpin Mill in Black Hawk. A force of 40 men are on the pay roll.
Married: In Central City, at the Presbyterian Parsonage, August 19th, 1901, Rev. A. MacNeill officiating, William A. Tonn and Miss Martha A. Eustice, both of Black Hawk.
Died: In Denver, at St. Joseph Hospital, August 19th, 1901, Matt Huberty, aged 44 years.
Died: In Black Hawk, August 20th, 1901, Ernest Charles, son of Mr. and Mrs. Charles T. Rudolph, aged 1 month.
151 years ago – August 25, 1871
Hay was reported scarce in the mountains, and Georgetown had to depend on Black Hawk for its supply and pay 3 cents a pound for it.
Mr. M.H. Root was asking for ten stone and brick masons to work on the Teller House.
A block of first-class ore, weighing 1,238 pounds, was taken out of the Gray, Bennett and Root Claim on the Kansas Mine, and donated to the territorial fair for exhibition purposes.
- A. H. Loveland, vice president and superintendent of construction of the Colorado Central Railroad was advertising for blasters, quarrymen, and laborers for work on the line.
The engineers surveying the route of the Colorado Central Railroad from Black Hawk to Nevadaville, had completed their labors and reported that the line would be seven miles long with a maximum grade of about 130 feet to the mile.
James Hambly and his partner named Vaughan were injured in the Harper Claim on the California Mine, by a scale of rock falling on them while they were coming up in the bucket. Dr. Adduddell was summoned.
Grace Greenwood (Mrs. Lippincott) lectured at Turner Hall Sunday, her subject being “The Heroic in Common Life.”
